The rails run smoothly across the earth, with old, broken pieces of wood keeping them locked tightly together. There is a peaceful silence. I try to balance as I walk on the steel. My steps echo, for they are the only noise for miles, aside from the sweet chipper of songbirds and squirrels. The air is crisp and fresh, allowing me to be alone without feeling lonely. I sit and wait. It shouldn’t be long now.

One of the many things I love about these tracks is that no matter what I’m feeling, there is scenery to fit my mood. Colorful flowers, butterflies, and long silky grass when you first start walking. Then, nothing but dead weeds. Crunchy and yellow, and covered in rocks and rusty stakes. Keep walking and you come to a peaceful stream, cascading gently over rocks and under thick, brown tree roots. The water flows ever so gently through a cement culvert pipe. Underneath, it is dark, and faded graffiti is sprayed against the side. None of it is legible, except one line. “People never notice anyth,” is what the faded  letters read. It fits the mood as perfectly as sad music on a rainy day. I check my watch. It’ll be here soon enough.

I come here all the time. I have walked these tracks with my friends, spilling secrets and deciding what we are going to do that day. I have showed my cousins, Matthew and Seth, and we hid from our troubles and told stories until it was dark. I have brought a boy here, and we danced until our stomachs hurt from laughter, only to remain there, lying side by side and talking about our plans for the future.  Me and my dad come back here as well, just to mess around and have a good time. I come here alone too. To run, to think, to cry, to relax… These aren’t just railroad tracks to me, it is a place where I keep my most special memories. It is a place where I run to when I am in need of somewhere to go. I back away from the tracks. Anytime now.

The rails vibrate on the hill above me, and rocks shake from the mighty force of the train engine. The sound of the horn penetrates the silence and cuts the air with its power. The sound of the tires on the steel is sharp and loud. I smile as the grimy carts rush past me and my hair flies in the wind. It’s right on time. I smile bigger. This is my favorite place, and it’s all mine.